C/1989 Q1 (Okazaki–Levy–Rudenko)
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by |
|
| Discovery date | 24–26 August 1989 |
| Designations | |
| 1989 XIX, 1989r[2] | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch | 8 October 1989 (JD 2447807.5) |
| Observation arc | 122 days |
| Number of observations | 255 |
| Perihelion | 0.642 AU |
| Eccentricity | 1.00006 |
| Inclination | 90.146° |
| 275.51° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 150.57° |
| Last perihelion | 11 November 1989 |
| Earth MOID | 0.288 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 1.008 AU |
| Physical characteristics[5][6] | |
Mean radius | 1.00±0.12 km |
| Mass | 1.8×1012 kg |
Mean density | 460±80 kg/m3 |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 7.5 |
| 4.9 (1989 apparition)[4] | |
Comet Okazaki–Levy–Rudenko, also known by its formal designation C/1989 Q1, is a hyperbolic comet that was barely visible to the naked eye from August 1989 to January 1990.[4] It is also notable for having an orbit that is almost perpendicular to the ecliptic.[7]
Physical characteristics
Spectrophotometer measurements taken in October 1989 detected cyanogen (CN) and diatomic carbon (C
2) molecules emitting from the comet while it was 0.795 AU (118.9 million km) from the Sun.[8]
In December 1989, the comet produced two unusual features, a wedge-shaped coma and an antisolar jet.[9] The high levels of polarization in the vicinity of the jet suggest the presence of dust particles that is relatively smaller than that was observed from Halley in 1986.[9]
Its nucleus is estimated to be around 1.00 ± 0.12 km (0.621 ± 0.075 mi) in radius.[6]
References
- ^ K. Okazaki; D. H. Levy; M. Rudenko (28 August 1989). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet Okazaki–Levy–Rudenko (1989r)". IAU Circular. 4841 (1). Bibcode:1989IAUC.4841....1K.
- ^ "Comet Names and Designations". International Comet Quarterly. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "C/1989 Q1 (Okazaki–Levy–Rudenko) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b G. W. Kronk; M. Meyer; D. A. J. Seargent (2017). Cometography: A Catalog of Comets. Vol. 6: 1983–1993. Cambridge University Press. pp. 439–444. ISBN 978-0-521-87216-4.
- ^ A. Sosa; Y. R. Fernández (2011). "Masses of long-period comets derived from non-gravitational effects" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 416 (1): 767–782. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19111.x.
- ^ a b M. L. Paradowski (2022). "A New Indirect Method of Determining Density of Cometary Nuclei" (PDF). Acta Astronomica. 72 (2): 141–159. Bibcode:2022AcA....72..141P. doi:10.32023/0001-5237/72.2.4. ISSN 0001-5237.
- ^ D. E. Machholz (1989). "The Appearance of a New Comet: Comet Okazaki–Levy–Rudenko (1989r)". Journal of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers. 33: 171–172. Bibcode:1989JALPO..33..171M. ISSN 0039-2502.
- ^ B. B. Sanwal; B. S. Rautela (1991). "Molecular emission from the head of Comet Okazaki-Levy-Rudenko (1989r)" (PDF). Earth, Moon & Planets. 54: 125–128. Bibcode:1991EM&P...54..125S. doi:10.1007/BF00057583. ISSN 0167-9295.
- ^ a b N. Eaton; S. M. Scarrott; R. D. Wolstencroft (1991). "Polarization studies of comet Okazaki–Levy–Rudenko" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 250 (3): 654–656. doi:10.1093/mnras/250.3.654.
External links
- C/1989 Q1 at the JPL Small-Body Database